Prime Minister Anuthih Charnweerakul announced the issuance of a decree authorizing the Ministry of Finance to borrow 400 billion baht to address the impact of the Middle East crisis and support the country's energy transition. He noted that the Middle East conflict has severely impacted global energy prices and the economy. The energy crisis has cascaded into rising food prices and increased living costs for citizens.

The Prime Minister characterized this as an unavoidable emergency requiring urgent action to mitigate impacts on the public, sustain economic activity, accelerate energy restructuring, reduce vulnerability, and address the nation's pressing challenges. The government will deploy all available resources to navigate this crisis successfully, he affirmed, stressing that this is not a normal situation that can wait.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekkhanit Nitithanpraphasat acknowledged that current budgets are insufficient. The 2569 fiscal year budget currently stands at less than 500 million baht, with only 200 million baht remaining in the central reserve. Supplementary budgeting for 2570 would not arrive until October, which is too late.

Of the 400 billion baht loan, 200 billion baht will support low and middle-income citizens, farmers, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The remaining 200 billion baht will fund energy restructuring, facilitating the transition from fossil fuel dependency to renewable and alternative energy sources.

The Middle East conflict and resulting energy crisis have driven up global market prices—an external factor beyond Thailand's control. This has broadly impacted the public, as currently experienced. The government must inject budgetary support to mitigate effects, particularly rising living costs from energy, food, and essential consumer goods.

However, government borrowing will increase public debt, ultimately placing the burden on citizens through various taxes. Therefore, borrowing must be transparent with verifiable oversight, spent efficiently without waste, targeted accurately, and ensure no group is left behind.

As we enter a new era of data centers transforming from simple data storage warehouses into innovation factories in the age of AI influence, the question becomes: why is this happening? Thongchai Hanyavirojanikul, Marketing & Sales Manager for the Thailand cluster at ABB Electrification (Thailand) Limited, provides the answer.

First, let's understand ABB. It is a global engineering company primarily operating in electrical technology and automation (Electrification & Automation), providing design, distribution, and installation services for industrial electrical equipment, energy management systems, electric motors, inverters, and industrial robots, with emphasis on developing sustainable products and solutions.

ABB operates worldwide and has been doing business in Thailand for over 100 years, making Thailand significant in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past 3-5 years, the company has begun targeting the data center industry, supplying energy infrastructure and electrical equipment to ensure data center stability and reliability.

ABB recognizes the growth potential of the global data center industry, which is experiencing particularly high growth in Thailand and Southeast Asia, with projected growth rates of 7.5-8.5% annually during 2025-2027 due to the digital economy transition.

Why are data centers important and how do they relate to daily Thai life? ABB executives explain that data centers are the critical backbone of digital infrastructure operating behind the scenes of modern Thai daily life, which is now inseparably linked to technology—what's called digital life. They support all types of online activities including applications, social media, banking and financial transactions, and streaming entertainment. All of this data must be stored in data centers to ensure security and rapid transmission of information in various formats to our communication devices.

Currently, global companies including Google and Amazon Web Services have already invested in building data centers in Thailand, and Microsoft is planning similar investments. This confirms that Thailand has become a strategic hub for digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

ABB serves as a global partner to Google, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft in supplying electrical infrastructure and control systems to maintain data center stability at hyperscale levels, including in Thailand.

Thongchai noted that the emergence of artificial intelligence is causing data center growth to surge approximately fourfold. Importantly, AI has transformed data centers from mere data storage facilities into innovation factories. Operations are shifting from simple data storage to emphasizing powerful computational capabilities that drive AI innovation, requiring 4-5 times more electrical power and system capacity.

Thongchai further pointed out that this data center transformation in the AI era will advantage Thai SMEs and startups. The investment by global companies in data centers and the availability of more powerful data center infrastructure creates opportunities for new startups to develop innovations in new forms. These include startups capable of developing AI models for application across industries requiring high efficiency, as well as SMEs and startups creating infrastructure innovations and software development solutions.

A woman invested in building a villa to live with her best friend, sharing how they're fulfilling a childhood dream of spending their retirement years together.

Many people have expressed envy of their friendship when Vien Baby posted photos enjoying downtime with her closest friend Cha Mi Pham at the vacation home the two built together to realize a youthful dream.

According to reports, Vien Baby is the wife of a prominent hotel chain owner in Ho Chi Minh City. She frequently shares photos of dining, traveling, and spending time with this close friend, earning widespread online admiration for their bond.

She explained that their closeness stems from similar lifestyles. Both are married and live in Ho Chi Minh City, making it convenient to meet up, and they share similar tastes and interests in both hobbies and lifestyle.

In early 2026, Vien Baby went viral after revealing photos of a vacation home in Dalat that she and her best friend jointly built, leaving many amazed by their commitment and luxurious lifestyle.

She recounted: "When we were in high school, we dreamed that when we grew up we'd live together. But one day my friend told me she was getting married and moving to the South. When she went to the airport, we cried so hard. Later I got married and moved to follow her. Eventually we got to live close to each other again, and today we've made that dream come true."

The Dalat vacation home is now complete. Whenever they have free time or weekends, the two often spend time relaxing there, living simply—going to cafes, buying flowers to arrange, decorating the house, or just chilling at home in a slow-life style.

Vien Baby, also known as Dung Ngoc Vien, was a Top 8 finalist at Miss Teen 2008 before marrying a businessman in 2013. She gradually distanced herself from the entertainment industry to focus on family and business, but recently returned to public attention through appearances on a popular television show.

At 36 years old, Vien Baby lives a life many aspire to—balancing work, family, and love. She's also part of a friend group known as a "high-society girls" circle that has stayed close for over 10–20 years.

Meanwhile, Cha Mi Pham, though not an entertainment industry figure, has gained attention as Vien Baby's best friend. She originally hails from Hanoi before relocating to Ho Chi Minh City after marriage. She is currently a mother of three children and runs an online retail business.

Agriculture Minister Suriya Chungrungreangkit has announced that the ministry is preparing to request a central budget allocation of approximately 5,000-6,000 million baht to implement a program procuring organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and bioproducts for free distribution to farmers during this growing season. The program targets comprehensive nationwide coverage across all regions and all major economic crops including rice, field crops, fruit trees, and other important agricultural products in each region.

This urgent measure aims to help reduce farmers' production costs amid ongoing global conflict and economic conditions impacting input prices, particularly chemical fertilizer prices in the world market which face risks of significant increases during the planting season.

Previous negotiations with Russia regarding fertilizer procurement received in-principle approval from the Russian Deputy Prime Minister. However, detailed examination revealed that delivery conditions could be delayed until approximately August, potentially missing the crucial window for Thai farmers' planting season.

Additionally, if delivery delays occur during the continued volatility of the conflict, global fertilizer prices could rise further, requiring consideration of supplementary support measures to prevent farmers from bearing increased costs during critical production periods.

The organic and biofertilizer distribution initiative aligns with the ministry's policy to reduce chemical fertilizer consumption and encourage farmers to transition to organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and bioproducts to lower costs, restore soil quality, and mitigate long-term risks from chemical fertilizer price fluctuations.

The ministry will assign the Department of Agricultural Extension and related agencies to conduct detailed field surveys of fertilizer requirements in each province to ensure distribution corresponds with specific crop types and actual needs of each area, such as rice-growing areas, fruit orchards, or region-specific economic crops.

The initial budget allocation is expected to utilize central funds of approximately 5,000-6,000 million baht for this growing season in a comprehensive implementation covering not just rice but all other crops, ensuring farmers nationwide can access organic and biofertilizers widely.

"The approach is to distribute fertilizer free to farmers because currently our agricultural community is suffering from both the conflict situation and economic conditions driving up costs. The government must urgently implement direct assistance measures," the minister stated.

This measure is expected to be submitted to the government for consideration shortly. If approved, it will be one of the important packages for reducing agricultural costs this season and serve as the starting point for restructuring the country's fertilizer use from dependence on imported chemical fertilizers toward increased use of organic and biofertilizers long-term.

BANGKOK — Thailand is set to welcome its first official Pokémon Center, with a new store planned at centralwOrld, marking a major expansion of the global franchise in Southeast Asia.

The project is a partnership between Pokémon (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Central Pattana, which have signed a lease agreement for "Pokémon Center BANGKOK". The store is expected to open within 2026.

The Bangkok outlet will be the third permanent Pokémon Center outside Japan, following locations in Singapore and Taipei, and is expected to be the largest such store internationally.

Company representatives said the move reflects confidence in Thailand's growth potential, driven by a strong fan base and the country's role as a regional tourism hub.

The Pokémon Center is an official retail and experience space offering exclusive merchandise, trading card games and themed activities. It also serves as a hub for news and updates related to the franchise.

Shunsuke Sasaki, director of Pokémon (Thailand), said the opening marks a significant milestone for the company in Thailand.

"We are truly grateful to have the opportunity to open the first official Pokémon Center store in Thailand at centralwOrld," he said, adding that the location reflects the vibrant and high-traffic environment the brand was seeking.

Isareit Chirathivat of Central Pattana said the collaboration goes beyond retail, aiming to create a destination that attracts both Thai and international visitors.

The new store is expected to become a landmark attraction, contributing to tourism and reinforcing Bangkok's position as a global lifestyle destination.

Further details about Pokémon Center BANGKOK will be announced ahead of its opening.